Have you ever dialed 911? If you’ve dialed it on your cell phone, it’s a little confusing. It locks out all other calls. That can be a good thing, but not if you’ve just called your husband, gotten disconnected, then called 911 right away! The last time I called, it was for a van in front of me whose horn kept going off while they were driving. Duh. I didn’t realize that was a car alarm and the van was stolen. I just figured it was someone having trouble with their horn. The first time I ever called 911 was before cell phones were popular (yes, I know some of you can’t remember back that far). I saw what I thought was two children in the trunk of some older people’s Cadillac. As I got closer, it was clear that at least one of them was a man peeking out. I pulled off the freeway at the nearest exit and dialed from a payphone. The operator was actually more worried about me because it was late at night and I’d pulled off in the worst area of East Los Angeles. I asked her if she would let me know what happened, but she couldn’t because of privacy laws. I still remember the license plate twenty years later. Wonder if I could find out?
Hopefully your kids will never have reason to dial 911, but knowing how is a good thing. Kids ages 5-14 can get a free t-shirt when they sign up to be part of Special Agent 911 Kids Club. It’s an informational club that teaches children the proper (and improper) times to dial 911. Cellular One sponsors the club, trying to bring awareness to using or not using phones (especially cell phones) for times a child might think is an emergency.
Just for signing up, members receive a free t-shirt, a membership card, a birthday card, and a signed photo. It’s kind of a neat little thing to get a little one’s attention when you’re talking to them about what to do in emergencies. Order the t-shirt and use it as a teachable moment. And be thankful they’re there to respond.
Link to 911 Kids’ Club